Fifty Shades of Grey gets Australian release date

Universal Pictures has announced an official Australian release date for the erotic romance Fifty Shades of Grey: July 31, 2014. It arrives in New Zealand cinemas July 31 as well. The film hits American cinemas one day later.

We may not yet know who will be playing the impressionable and submissive student Anastasia Steele or her billionaire boudoir tutor Christian Grey, but fans of the bestselling book series by E.L. James are chomping at the bit for more details.

They’re tipped as the hottest roles going in Hollywood but Harry Potter alumni Emma Watson has already shot down rumours that she was circling the role of Anastasia by tweeting, “Who here actually thinks I would do 50 Shades of Grey as a movie? Like really. For real. In real life.”

Confirmation came weeks ago that Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy) will direct based on a screenplay by Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr Banks) but fans will have to wait a while longer for further casting news.